


Under the Stars

by SomeGoodSheith



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Historical, Arthurian, Battlefield, Blood and Violence, First Kiss, First Meetings, Friends to Lovers, Knight Keith (Voltron), Knight Lance (Voltron), Knight Shiro (Voltron), M/M, Queen Allura (Voltron), Sheith Secret Santa 2019, Stargazing, knight matt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:41:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22122763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomeGoodSheith/pseuds/SomeGoodSheith
Summary: Shiro, a knight of Kingdom Altea, has sworn to protect the kingdom and its people. It is when he meets Keith, a knight of the enemy's kingdom, that he realizes he has one more person he desperately wants to protect.
Relationships: Keith & Shiro (Voltron), Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 66





	Under the Stars

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Siamesa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Siamesa/gifts).



> I'm so sorry for the delay! Despite starting uni as I worked on this, I still had tone of fun with it, and I really hope you like it, Elizabeth ❤

The day Shiro first saw Keith was in a royal feast in the main hall of the Altean Kingdom. 

They were both quite young; Shiro himself had just turned fifteen. He was a trainee in the royal army, recently recruited by the push of his grandfather, Sir Shirogane. 

He had taught Shiro everything he knew: from reading and writing to sword techniques. He made him run every day, fight, even ride a horse, all before he was even intended to be recruited; it was just a matter of time. His grandfather was a proud knight, a proud family man and had told Shiro every single day: _you will carry our family's legacy; your father, myself, my father before me and the line of our ancestors. We have served the Altean family for many generations. And you know how, don't you, Takashi? With the values of honor, loyalty and selflessness. Only with the power of your sword and the power of your will, will you be able to be a true knight._

Not that Shiro understood all that thenーnot completely. Of course, he had treated everyone with kindness, from servants to royal figures. 

However, the feast was, in all honesty, quite boring. He stood with his grandfather next to the king, loyally guarding him, the queen and the princess during the feast, as they did at all times. The food seemed good, yes, and he didn't mind the standing, but the companyー _ugh_. He couldn't stand it: the arrogant tones, the lift of the chin, the slight disgust he could see in the corner of the lords and ladies' eyes. The King, the Queen and their daughter, Princess Allura, were an exceptionーthey were actually kind; it was their guests, Alteans and others, that showed no respect whatsoever to anyone who wasn't of royal blood. 

However, he had to keep the eye-rolls and sighs to himself. He was there for his grandfather, after all. Even if he wasn't pleased with something, he mustn't have shown it. Otherwise, _he_ would be the one failing his duties. 

When the feast was finally over and he had permission to leaveーhe did so immediately. He was lucky his grandfather knew how to be soft on some occasions, and not only the strict figure he knew at home and during training. 

"I don't want you sulking in front of the King and Queen," he said, and Shiro could only smile apologetically. "Don't wander too far, and use this time to rest. Training will resume once we're back home."

"Yes, grandfather. Thank you. I will not be late."

"Make sure of that, Takashi." 

Soon he found himself in the best spot of the entire castle: the royal gardens. Green trees filled it with a rich atmosphere; the flowers on each side of the path were soothing to the eye. He loved walking among them and bathe himself with that beautiful sight. 

The blue sky above him had barely had any clouds in its midst, giving room to the sun to brighten it with its long, long rays. 

It was then that he saw him. Sitting by the edge of the first half of the garden, with his back slightly bending forward, leaning his elbows on his knees; his black hair blew to the left slowly in the gentle wind. On his back, the Galra symbol was embroidered symmetrically. 

Shiro stepped closer and sat right beside him, looking ahead at the fountain in front of them that had divided one part of the garden from the otherーbut he only looked for a moment. 

He lifted his head up and moved his gaze towards the sky. 

"Fascinating, isn't it?" he hummed, spotting the vague, light-blue half-moon in the western sky. "Seeing the moon even during the day. I never understood why that is."

The other boy was quiet, and even though Shiro didn't look at him, he could see at the corner of his eye that the boy was now looking in the same direction. 

"Maybe the sun is too bright today," the other suggested thoughtfully. "Or maybe it's magic. Just like the other day, when the sun disappeared."

"Oh, have you seen that too?" Shiro smiled. 

When the other boy finally turned his head towards him, the very first thing he noticed was his big, amethyst eyes; bright purple-ish gemstones underneath long, long eyelashes. 

His breath almost stopped at the way they were shining. 

"Yes! But right after it happened, my uncle told me not to look so the spell won't blind me. But can you believe it? As if someone just stole the sun!" 

"My grandfather was certain it was the end of days. That the sun was gone and that evil was going to come upon us. We were all a little scared but when it was over, and the sun was in the sky again, they had a big celebration all over the kingdom. It would've been nice to be a part of it."

"Why didn't you go?" the other boy asked.

"Bigger plans," Shiro said simply, his tone somewhat sad. "Other responsibilities. How about you?" 

"With my uncle, there's no such thing as deserting duty," the other nodded in understanding. "I'm not really supposed to be out here, either, but… I decided to take a break."

"I was just lucky my grandfather was in a good mood," he still watched him, deciding to take his looks in a bit further; he was pretty handsome, with that long hair and enchanting eyes. "I'm Takashi, by the way. Takashi Shirogane. But you can call me Shiro."

When he extended his hand in front of the other boy, he shook it, giving a more sincere smile. "Keith."

"Nice to meet you, Keith," Shiro said, repeating the name only to test it in his own voice. "Heyーdo you want to get out of here? The nearby woods are pretty neat. The ball in the castle will last for at least a few more hours."

"Yes," Keith didn't even hesitate. It seemed that he was almost waiting for such an offer. 

One word was all Shiro needed. 

❈

The woods were Shiro's favorite spot in the entire kingdom. Mostly quiet, wide and filled with green, he knew the roads inside it better than any other that was the same age as his, as he studied them over and over again as a child, while he played around or just went there to hide. He loved how many ways there were from one spot to the otherーhe didn't always use the main road, and always got where he wanted to. 

Most of all, he loved watching the night sky from the highest spot in the woodsーthe top of the mountain, right at the center. 

With Keith, however, he took his time. He wasn't in a hurry for a while but rather showed him around the places he most loved in the vast territory of greens, blues, reds and all kinds of colors nature had kindly provided. It would be a while before nightfall, after all. 

Fortunately, his new friend seemed to be just as eager as he was. 

They climbed trees, wandered down the meadow and raced on cliffs as if they were friends for years. 

"So you're telling me you have never seen a Yupper before?" 

"I have not. But there aren't any Yuppers in this kingdom."

"And? Don't tell me you've never been outside of your _kingdom,_ either," Keith laughed. 

"I have! But not in the Galra territory. Aren't Yuppers only on your side?" 

"Alright, fair enough."

They walked on the side of the mountain, on a slightly narrower side, with little ground to walk on between the rock and the forest below. Shiro knew the right steps but kept an eye on Keithーjust in case. 

"I've seen a white lion once," Shiro said, "in the winter a few years ago."

"Whoa," Keith replied in awe, "that must have been real-"

As soon as Keith's words were cut off, Shiro turned to him. As if the world was going at a slower pace, he saw exactly the angle in which Keith stumbled; he lost his balance with his foot getting stuck under a small tree root that was hiding from sight with its grass-green color. 

Shiro didn't hesitate. "Look out!" he called, sending his arms forward without even thinking. He caught Keith by the hip and pulled him up until his own back hit the steep of the mountain behind him. 

"Are you alright?!" he asked in a higher voice, his frown deepening. 

"Yes! Yes, I'm fine. I'm sorry, ShiroーI'm so sorryー" 

"No, don't be! You almost fell off the mountain!" 

"Yes! And that was so embarrassing!" 

"Please, that's fine. You're fine. It happens to the best of us. It even happened to me a few times."

"Still… well. Thank you for saving my life," Keith looked up at him, his eyes filled with the setting sun's light. "I don't take that lightly."

Shiro sure hoped he didn't blush too much. "Of course."

They stayed as they were for a while before Keith cleared his throat. "Um. You're still hugging me…"

And that was it. Shiro could feel it clearly; if it didn't happen before, he was certain his cheeks now were burning with red. "Ohーsorryー" 

"No, no. It's alright," Keith smiled. Somehow, it was as though his face were as warm as the sun. It made the other knight's heart skip a beat. 

He didn't know why, but it made him happy. 

"Let's continue. I want to show you something."

They crossed the side of the mountain and climbed up, finally reaching the peak. There, above the trees, the horizon was finally revealed to them: the sunset washing the sky with burning colors; they were spreading away from the ball of light that was half-hiding behind narrow clouds. Above the fiery colors, the sky became darker, with hints of purple that turned into blue. 

The taller knight took the sight in, before curiously turning his gaze to Keith. The latter was in such awe that Shiro could not fight the smile that found its way on his face. 

It was then when Keith looked back at him. "It's so beautiful," he said softly.

"It is. I don't usually bring people up here. It's my favorite spot to be in the evening after training when I have the opportunity."

"Then… why did you decide to show it to me? You didn't have to go all this way."

Shiro shrugged. "Because I thought you'd appreciate it. Others don't take the time to really look at the sky and absorb its beauty… but you do. I can see it."

Keith chuckled. "You're not wrong."

How Shiro wished they could stay longer. He wanted to show him how beautiful the night sky is, how starry and glorious it becomes once the darkness allows it. But it was not long after the sun almost disappeared that Keith told him he was expected to be back. 

"I really wish we could stay longer up there," he said on their way back. "But my uncle would probably be mad as it is."

"I understand. My grandfather wouldn't be pleased with me, either ."

"I don't mind, though. It was worth it."

Shiro's heart skipped a beat again. 

"Next time you're here," he promised, "I will take you up the mountain again to watch the stars. How does that sound?" 

"Perfect," Keith's eyes met his. So beautiful and captivating they were; a hint of a certain shade of purple was still present in their midst. 

It was when they reached the castle again that he truly felt sorry they needed to part. 

"Until next time, then?" he reached his arm up for Keith to catch. 

"Until next time," the other smiled. 

They shook hands and kept the touch intact just a while longer, as if not wanting to let go. 

Shiro knew, at least, that he didn't want to. 

With Keith's departure to the other side of the castle, where his people stayed, Shiro repeated his promise in his heart. 

❈

They have met again several occasions as time passed, yet each time was briefer than before: on the way to a ceremony, during meetings between the kings and queens, or other official businesses between the two kingdoms that the two happened to attend. 

They managed to escape into the royal garden once, finding a nice tree to sit under, in the shade. At some point, they leaned their shoulders against each other. Shiro found himself absorbing the warmth, taking comfort in the touch, liking the fact that neither of them recoiled or felt the need to apologize. 

That was the best part of his day. He wanted it to last forever, but he had also learned a long time ago that everything good must come to an end. 

❈

As more time passed, Shiro could feel the tension between the two empires growーeveryone couldーuntil eventually, the connection between them broke completely. 

War was declared. 

His heart broke as he realized that if he were to see Keith again, it would most likely be in battle. 

Fate was never by his side, nor by his love. 

❈

Years passed. His grandfather died honorably on the battlefield, and at the age of twenty-five, Shiro was promoted to be the commander of the Royal Army. 

The battles with the Galra were many. With every victory, a defeat followed, yet that was the way of war. 

Shiro hated it all, nonetheless. Loyalty and honor were his guidelines but his heart was aching with sorrow. 

The only thing he was grateful for was not seeing Keith in battle even once. It gave him a spark of hope that maybe he was alright. Despite that, his concern ate his heart harshly. Was it false hope?

"Commander Shirogane," one of the knights came up to him, immediately bowing. "Everything is ready."

"Thank you, Sir Griffin. Make sure the army is aligned when I get there."

"Yes, Commander."

Once the knight left, Shiro took a deep breath. That was itーanother battle. More lives to lose. More blood to shed. 

But he didn't really have a choice, did he? 

❈

Allura, their Queen, sat on her horse beside him and spoke to the knights and soldiers. Despite Shiro's protests, she wanted to lead the people even in battle. His duty doubled, and with it, his worries did as well.

His speech, after hers, was brief but elegant. Just like her, he was good at speaking to his people, uniting them with just his words. But he gave those words with a heavy heart, no matter how important his duty was. 

"Defenders of Altea!" he finished his speech, "we shall exit this battle just the way we enter itーwith honor! Our duty is for our Queen, our land, our people! Now, together, we shall be triumphant in this war!" 

Cheers were roared after every shout of the knights' leader. Finally, Allura raised her sword, and both she and the Commander turned to face the enemy. 

"For the hope of Altea!" she called, " _CHARGE!_ " 

Both hooves and feet were drumming on the ground, deafening as the two armies pounced at one another. Knights against soldiers, Queen against Kingーand Shiro doing his best to protect her, protect his people, and himself. 

It was not an easy task. 

The Galra were fierce soldiers. They fought with no mercy, spilling blood endlessly. Shiro knew that fact closely, from the way they took his grandfather's life. 

He should have hated them. He should have hated them all, but he couldn't bring himself to. Not when somewhere among them was Keith. 

Casting the image away from his mind, he fought with everything he had. Anyone who tried to harm the Queen met his sharp sword. He was on his horse at first, but once he had to, he jumped off of it to fight from the ground. The more he fought, the more enemies came his way. 

The Queen got hurt, and as soon as Shiro saw her keeping her hand tight on her opposite shoulder, he pierced the one that dared to harm her directly in the heart. 

He observed her wound: her pauldron was broken, and underneath it was the bleeding cut. 

"Your majesty, I have to take you to safety."

"I will not abandon my people!" 

"Without you, there are no people."

"Oh, don't give me that, Shirogane. Every single person out here is important. I'm merelyー" 

"You are _not_ _merely_ , Allura." Once he used her name, he had her attention. People still fought around them, still fought _them_ , yet Shiro kept them away if only to say his share. "You are our queen. You unite the kingdom and take care of the people. You don't only give them order, you give them stability. You give them hope. I will not let that hope be taken away from them."

She was quiet, biting her lower lip. 

"This wound may not be fatal, but it will bring much more harm with it. I can't let that happen."

When Allura still had no words to say in response, Shiro picked her up and sat her down on the back of his horse. He called two of his most trusted knights to escort her. 

"Wait! What about you?!" she exclaimed. 

"I am the commander of the royal army, your majesty! I took an oath to protect you, but to lead the knights and soldiers until the battle is through, as well. Don't worryーSir Lance and Sir Matthew will make sure you get to our physician as soon as possible."

"No doubt in that, Sire," Sir Lance nodded. 

Allura shook her head. " _You_ are my guard!" 

"And you are my queen," Shiro bowed deeply, before cutting down another enemy. "I will see you back in the castle. Now go! The royal physician will wait for your arrival."

With one more glance of sorrow, Allura, Sir Lance and Sir Matthew made their escape. Shiro, by his side, gathered his people once again and kept on fighting. 

❈

Too much. Too much, too much. 

It was getting too much. 

The blood oozed from multiple parts of Shiro's body. He was tired, bruised and almost out of breath, but he couldn't give up. He _wouldn't_. 

Before him was his mortal enemy, Sendak. The one who hated him from the very beginning; the one who gained the commander's own hatred by being one who killed his grandfather on the battlefield while keeping a big smile on. 

The only one that he wanted to see dead. 

Shiro fought. With his sword, and after it was knocked out of his gripーwith his hands, with his feet. With anything he could think of. While fighting, Sendak's sword slashed him right across the bridge of his nose, an attack that was directed to his eyes, but he managed to escape only slightly. There was a sharp pain, and then there was nothing but blood, blood, blood. 

He couldn't allow himself to dwell in that pain. He wiped away as much blood as he could while doing his best to avoid more strikes. 

"Fight!" Sendak roared his demand. "Fight me, or be a coward forever!" 

Clenching his teeth, Shiro dove towards his sword, and with it blocked another attack. 

How will he get out of this? 

Then, somewhere behind his enemy, he saw itーa cliff not far away from them, on the side of the mountain. It was high and narrow, much higher than the field they stood in now, but easy enough to climb. 

His plan formed quickly, and he executed it immediately. 

"You killed my grandfather," Shiro huffed, his voice husky from exhaustion, "I will fight you to my last breath."

His rain of attacks came with no warning. One swing of his sword after the other, Shiro managed to make Sendak take a few steps back each time, leading him to the direction he wanted. Then, when Sendak managed to fight back, Shiro led them to the foot of the mountain, and in a moment of instinct, he jumped up and began climbing.

He was quick, quicker than Sendak could have anticipated; he was much lighter than him and knew the area quite well. It didn't stop the other from laughing cruelly, calling after him, "Your battleground of choice is rather interesting. I like it." It didn't take him long to start climbing right after him. 

Shiro reached the cliff's surface and stood in the middle of the vertical rock. He wiped more of the blood on his nose, and took a better hold of his sword, waiting patiently. 

_Patience yields focus_ , that was what his grandfather used to say. _Be calm, be calculated. Let your enemy get angry at your tranquility, and only then, surprise them._

When Sendak stood before him, huffing and revealing his teeth with annoyance, Shiro allowed himself to smile. 

It pissed Sendak off even further. It was him who pounced first, and on the narrow ground, their fight continued. Swords clashing, kicks and fists being thrown one after the other. Shiro felt alive, but at the same time, couldn't wait for this battle to end. 

When he tried to kick Sendak off the cliff, the latter laughed. 

"A small insect such as you doesn't deserve the title of a knight. You can't defeat me with your sword, so you turn to the mountain to do the work for you? Pathetic."

With that, Shiro had to be quick in avoiding and stopping his enemy's attacks, but he was fastーfaster than before. Shiro found himself on the ground a couple of times, coughing and spitting blood on the rock. 

He could feel it; Sendak wanted this battle over just as much as he did. 

With multiple swings of his sword, the Galra commander broke Shiro's armor, creating room for even greater damage. Even when Shiro protected himself with his sword, half-laying on the ground was a disadvantage. His sword was knocked off by his enemy, who then kicked it off of the cliff. 

Shit. 

Sendak laughed and bent down towards him. "Look at you. So small and weak. Maybe I shouldn't kill you. Maybe, when the true king takes the throne from your queen, I'll ask to have you as my slave."

Shiro spat on Sendak's face. As a result, the Galra commander kicked him once in the stomach, then swung his sword at him again. 

The pain was so great, Shiro barely felt it at first. 

In the corner of his eye, he could see it. Blood oozing, dropping, flowing down where his right arm was supposed to be. 

A scream left his throat, along with tears that streamed on his face. The pain only got stronger the more he realized what was happening, and his first instinct was to bring his other hand up to try and stop the bleeding. 

Sendak laughed again, and Shiro realized: he was the one in true danger now. 

He might never see his people again, or the queen. 

Never see Keith again. 

_Keith, Keith, Keith_ , his mind screamed.

He couldn't let Sendak win. 

Despite the pain, despite the limb loss, despite the dizziness and ringing ears, Shiro managed to get up. With his left fist, he hit Sendak's face, knocked his sword from his hand and pushed him towards the edge. When his enemy lost his balance and tried to steady himself, Shiro picked up the other's sword and marched towards him. 

He slashed the sword through the air, and the other soldier instinctively went backward, to avoid the attack. That step, however, landed on the very edge and caused it to break. 

Then, before he could stop it, Sendak fell with a scream that was only silenced with the sound of his crash. 

Shiro could finally release a sigh of relief. He looked down from the edge, just to make sure it was really over, and then took a step back. 

His enemy's sword slipped out of his numb fingers' hold and landed on the cliff with a clink. He could feel it, the blood still oozing from his right shoulder. His breath only got heavier, just as his head did. His heart was beating slower, intensifying his dizziness. 

_Keith_ , he thought. _I'm sorry. I wanted to see you one more time… I…_

His eyes slipped shut without him even knowing. His limbs became flaccid, and he could feel himself falling, at first. 

Then, the darkness consumed him, and he felt nothing. 

❈

When Shiro finally opened his eyes, all he could see was the evening sky; fiery and vast and beautiful. It reminded him of…

Wait… he's not dead? 

He blinked over and over as he suddenly noticed the heat of fire now far away from him, and the scent of burning wood. Laying only in his underclothes, he was covered in someone's cloakーa purple one, with the Galra symbol embroidered on. 

His heart leapedーhe couldn't believe it. Was it real? Could it really be him? 

"Shiro," the voice that suddenly reached his ears was almost too soft for him to handle. "Shiro… you're awake. Finally." It continued, and into the knight's vision, Keith's handsome face entered; his raven hair much longer than before; his eyebrows pressed into a worried frown and his eyes were so big, so wide, just like the sky. A new scar was present on Keith's cheek, one that Shiro wanted to run his thumb against. 

"Keith…" Shiro's voice cracked, making him cough. Immediately, a waterskin was pressed to his lips. He drank as if he hasn't tasted water in years. "I thought… Iー" he wanted to continue, but his right shoulder hurt and itched at the same time, which made him groan. 

"It's alright, Shiro. You're safe now. I've been hiding you here for the last week or so."

"Where is _here_?" 

Keith's smile, that already shone from the moment he saw Shiro was conscious, only stretched further. "The top of the mountain you took me to all those years ago."

The knight blinked at the other fire a moment. "H-how? The last thing I remember is Sendak falling from the cliff in the battlefield… somewhere… far away from here."

"In the border between Oriande and Naxzela. Yes."

"And… how did it end? Is my kingdom safe? The queen, the knights?" 

"Calm down, calm down," Keith put his hand on Shiro's healthy shoulder, squeezing the soft skin with confidence. "I'll tell you everything, but you need to stay calm. You're still badly wounded."

Shiro gulped and nodded; Keith's voice was so soothing, the very sight of him was the one thing Shiro had wanted to see this entire time, that he couldn't help but comply. 

"When I reached the battlefield with my uncle, you were already climbing the cliff. I ran as fast as I could in your direction, but as you can imagine, I was delayed by the battle. When I got to you, you were already unconscious, and you almost fell off the cliff yourself. I managed to catch you and pull you up again. I brought you to my men to take care of your wound, and then I took you here. I thought… this was the best place to hide until I hear from my uncle."

"And… did you?" 

Keith's smile fell, little by little. "Not yet. That's why we're still here, in hiding."

Shiro watched him, his gaze piercing through the other's. "Why did you help me? I… we're on different sides, what if someone caught youー" 

"No. No, we're not," Keith said. "I've never told you what kind of knight I am, have I?" 

Shiro blinked and shook his head. In front of him, Keith took his sword out, a beautiful dark-grey metal, curved with a light purple line on the length of its blade. A round stone was placed on the base of the sword, with a symbol that Shiro only seldom heard of, but could never forget: the Blade of Marmora. 

His smile returned. "You will never cease to surprise me," he concluded, and when Keith chuckled, it was like bells to his ears. Then, Shiro gathered the courage to put his hand on Keith's, which was still placed on his shoulder. "You saved my life, Keith. I'll be forever grateful."

Keith released his hold on Shiro, only to intertwine their fingers with one another. "You saved me first, remember?" 

Now was Shiro's turn to chuckle. "So many years ago…" his voice trailed. He squeezed Keith's hand in his, and then brought it down to his lips, to kiss. Then, he uttered, "I missed you. I thought of you every day. How I wished, from the moment the war began, that I'll never have to encounter you in battle. How I wished that the war would be over, so I can see you again and make sure you're alright. Now I'm glad that you've encountered me first."

He could see Keith's cheeks redden softly, which was a trigger to Shiro's smile to spread once again. 

"I always wanted to come back to you," the Blade whispered his confession as well, leaning a tad closer. "I only wish I was there on time. I'm so sorry, Shiro, that I didn't manage to stop him fromー" 

"No! No… don't be sorry," Shiro let go of his hand, only to place it on Keith's scarred cheek. "Sendak might have taken my arm, but he couldn't take my life. And it is you that I am so deeply and utterly grateful to. My life is yours. I am forever in your debt."

Keith shook his head, "I don't want you to feel that you're in debt. I didn't save you for that. I saved you because…" he let the sentence hang between them; instead, he was watching Shiro's eyes with his deep purple ones. 

Shiro's heart fluttered in his rib-cage. He watched as Keith's hand cupped his own, turned his face to kiss the bigger palm, and then down to his wrist, right above the pulse. 

"Because I love you," Keith whispered against the skin. When he looked at Shiro again, his gaze was filled with renewed courage. "I've loved you from the moment you took me up this mountain. I've never forgotten your promise to take me to the peak at night… though now it seems that I have made that promise come true myself."

Shiro stared at the Galra knight with tearful eyes. He opened and closed his mouth, only intelligible half-sounds escaping it. His cheeks felt hot and wet, turning even hotter when he realized Keith's face was getting closer and closer. 

It was the Knight of Altea that leaned up first and pressed his thin lips against the softer pair. Butterflies fluttered inside his stomach, making him forget all about his lost arm and his chaotic kingdom. Keith's free hand supported the back of Shiro's head, softly keeping him close, even when the kiss was over. 

"I love you too," Shiro whispered, running his thumb up and down Keith's cheek. "From the very moment we talked about the stars… I couldn't place anyone else in my heart."

They remained in their embrace further into the night, save for the time Keith changed Shiro's bandages. They whispered among themselves words that were kept only for each other throughout the years; words that couldn't have been said in any other circumstance. 

Words that from now on will be said over and over again, for years to come. 

It was later when Keith's uncle, Kolivan, came to tell them the events of the last few days: King Zarkon was dead; Prince Lotor took his place and immediately requested a truce in order to promote peace between the kingdoms; the war was finally over. The Queen was alive and well and sent Shiro her warmest wishes once she had learned that he was in the care of her allies. 

Finally, they were safe. 

They thanked Kolivan before he had gone back to his squad. 

"I will take you to your kingdom as soon as your health allows," Keith promised, his smile hesitant. He laid down on the ground and placed Shiro's head on his chest. "I know you're anxious to see your people, but I don't want to risk your injury."

Shiro smiled and pushed his head as close to the other's chin as his shoulder let him. "Actually, I'm glad to stay here alone with you. No one can make me feel better but you."

"I'm no physician, Shiro. A member of my uncle's squad made the remedy for your shoulder."

"Well, this is only one kind of help. Your kind of help… _really_ makes me feel better." As Keith chuckled again, Shiro looked up at the sky that by then was dark yet filled with stars. "This is what I wanted to show you, all those years ago. This… little piece of heaven, right above us."

Keith was silent for a moment; then, his hum drummed underneath Shiro's head. "Mm. After we watch it for a while, you should have some rest," the Blade smiled, embracing the knight once again. "You need it in order to heal."

"Your should sleep, too. I might have stayed up tonight, but you must be exhausted for at least a few days."

"I'm fine." 

"Keith."

"Alright."

The stars glittered in their full glory, decorating the night sky with tiny dots of sparkling lights. At that moment, the stars belonged only to them. _As long as they remain above_ , the knights promised, _we will never lose each other again._


End file.
